Baillieu polices MPs in tough week on cops

Victorian Premier
Ted Baillieu
is set to face his MPs as the controversy over the state’s police refuses to go away.

Liberal Party insiders told The ­Australian Financial Review they expected Mr Baillieu to use today’s party room meeting to remind his team again of the importance of ­discipline.

At the top of the government’s list of issues is the Victoria Police. The police, especially those in the highest ranks, are the subject of four separate investigations by, variously, the state’s Ombudsman, the Office of Police Integrity and barrister Jack Rush QC.

Those inquiries mostly centre on the conduct of chief commissioner
Simon Overland
and the recent departure of his deputy, Ken Jones.

At the weekend, parliamentary secretary for police Bill Tilley threatened to resign from the party if the issues were not resolved properly. He eventually pledged to work within the party but that outburst followed revelations that Mr Baillieu’s chief of staff had met Sir Ken secretly.

It is the second-last sitting week before the winter break and the government will be without Police Minister and Deputy Premier
Peter Ryan
.

He is not expected to attend Parliament for much of the week due to a death in his family and several MPs predicted his absence, while entirely understood, would be keenly felt.

One senior Liberal figure said: “Ted will handle it in his usual way and say, once again, ‘One word out of place and it is a huge whack for every single Liberal or Nationals person in the Coalition and it is not just one person blowing off steam.’ "

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Some predict an Ombudsman’s report into Mr Overland’s role in the release of incomplete crime statistics favourable to the former government before last year’s election could be released this week. One Liberal frontbencher said that would be a positive for the government because, whether it exonerated or implicated Mr Overland, its release would allow the government to take some action.

There are also rumblings from the back bench about communication on government decisions and restrictions on MPs dealing with the media.

“Ted doesn’t talk to people," one MP said.

“All I can say is that the L- plates are still on the government and it will take a while to settle down."

That MP predicted that, although Liberal parliamentarians had been bawled out" at recent meetings – particularly over attending votes – today’s meeting is likely be less feisty.

“It will be interesting to see what will happen," said several MPs.

Police Association state secretary Greg Davies said the continuing public intrigue was hurting the chances of negotiating a pay deal.

The police are taking protected industrial action as they pursue annual rises of 4.5 per cent a year. The government has offered 2.5 per cent with more available in return for “bankable" productivity gains.